Archives for category: Central America

.
Here’s a nice video compiling photos and footage of three 4x4s driving through Central and South America: a Land Rover Defender, a Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series, and a Mitsubishi Delica. Some of the scenery and bridge crossings are jaw dropping.

Links to the three guys’ sites below.

Links:
Land Rover Defender: kontraer.com
Toyota Landcruiser: thebluetruck-e.blogspot.com
Mitsubishi Delica: dinoevo.de

.
I found this great video on Expo the other day. In 1995 Austin Vince and seven friends went traveling around the world on motorcycles along the longest route possible. They started in their home country of England and covered about 40,000 miles visiting 44 countries. Great stuff.

In some ways motorcycles are the ideal overlanding platform. They’re inexpensive, sip fuel, can get through stalled traffic, or down the narrowest trail. In my experience, they’re two to three times faster over rough roads than 4x4s. And, as this beautiful video shows, they even work for very long distance travel.

Between 2010 and 2012 Alex Chacon, a recent BioMed graduate from the University of Texas, spent just over 500 days traveling up, down, and across the Americas, from Alaska to the Tip of South America, on his motorcycle, a 2007 KLR 650. It looks like it was a stunning trip. If you’d like to dig deeper, his YouTube channel covers his journey in twelve episodes.

Here’s more info on his KLR, the way he equipped it, and why he chose it over a BMW or KTM. He also set up a consulting service to assist other travels wanting to head south.

Update 5/14/2013: Here’s a WCXC post about the benefits of the KLR 650.

GRIS+BOTTOM+BEFORE+AFTER

In case you have a cast-iron pan in your chuck box that you’d like to clean before camping season, or you’ve found a new-to-you, crusty, garage sale find, the blog I Believe I Can Fry has a great post on how to get the most grizzled pan looking new again.

Link:
I Believe I Can Fry: Reconditioning & Re-Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware

Take a five-minute trip to Costa Rica!

 

Here’s a great, National Geographic-style film about three men that, in 1940, attempted to drive what appears to be a stock Plymouth sedan from Washington D.C. to the tip of South America, along what was to become the Pan-American Highway.

In 1940, however, many parts of the road were nothing more than rugged mule trails. The men had to often drag their car (or have it dragged) over mountain passes and through rivers. It’s hard to believe they undertook the journey without the benefit of 4-wheel drive, a low-range transfer case, high-clearance suspension, or even off-road tires. When they weren’t on the trail, they were meeting dignitaries and reporting on culture and development. It’s charmingly civilized.

This film, Rough Road to Panama, chronicles the first half of the expedition. The companion film, Rugged Road to Cape Horn, which I have yet to find online in its entirety, covers the second half of the trip.

Read the rest of the entry to see parts 2 and 3 of Rough Road to Panama.

Hey, the video still of Part 1 looks like part of our logo. 🙂

Hat tip to Christian at Expedition Portal for posting that site’s forum.

Read the rest of this entry »